


Alternate Freaking Universe, Man

by stilinski_wolf



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - All Human, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Jock/Nerd, M/M, Pre-Slash, jock!Stiles, nerd!derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 14:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7578286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stilinski_wolf/pseuds/stilinski_wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is a nerd, and therefore an outcast at his high school, and is bullied by Jackson and his buddies on a semi-regular basis. After one such incident, Stiles comes up to help him - The Stiles Stilinski: jock, popular kid, and all around nice guy.</p><p>Derek is shocked, to say the least, that Stiles is being nice to <i>him</i> when they weren't even really friends.</p><p>(Doesn't stop Derek from having a massive crush on him, though).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alternate Freaking Universe, Man

Derek shut his locker and turned to head to class, pushing his glasses back up his nose as he did so, and took one step down the hall when he was pushed from behind and then tripped, and he fell down to the ground, hard, his books, notebooks, and pencils scattering.

“Oh, look at that. Better watch where you’re going next time, asshole. I almost tripped, myself.” Jackson Whittemore said, leaning down to smirk at Derek, who couldn’t meet his harsh look as he quickly started to gather his things. No one came to his aid as Jackson and his other friends laughed and walked away, making sure to purposefully step on Derek’s things as they went, heads held high.

Derek was used to it, though. It happened every couple weeks, every few days if he wasn’t lucky, and so he could handle it. It wasn’t fun, being picked on and bullied, but it was just some pushing and shoving most of the time. Derek never got any bruises or anything. At least not any serious ones. But other students always stood back and let it happen, didn’t do anything to help Derek once the jocks left, and that perhaps hurt almost more than the bullying did to Derek.

But he didn’t let them get to him. Just because he had acne, wore big glasses, and dressed in frumpy sweaters and baggy pants, they thought it gave them the right to pick on him. Well, Derek knew they were just making themselves feel better by trying to make Derek feel worse. It showed how sad and pathetic they really were. And that Derek wasn’t. So he didn’t let them get to him, just started to pick up his things, ignoring the few pitying looks he got from other students.

But then, when he was reaching for his history book, someone else already got to it, picking it up and holding it out to Derek.

Derek looked up, shocked, and almost swallowed his tongue when he saw who it was.

Stiles Stilinski was kneeling in front of him, letterman jacket on, hair artfully and perfectly styled, and a small, gorgeous smile on his face. “Hey.” Stiles said. 

“Um…hey?” Derek said, voice raised into a question, taking the book from Stiles wearily. 

Stiles was the star of the lacrosse team, as well as the baseball team, was just a grade below Derek, and had walked into the halls of Beacon Hills High his freshman year popular right off the bat. Especially after he tried out for both teams and wowed the coach, at just fourteen years old. 

Derek had liked him ever since the year before, though, when he’d sat next to Derek in his pre-calculus class and instead of ignoring Derek like most popular jocks did, actually started talking to him. 

He’d been nice. He’d been kind, and he’d cared. And looking at him had warmed his heart, made it beat faster, made Derek blush spectacularly whenever Stiles smiled at him. 

But they’d never been friends, not really, and had definitely never hung out, or ran in the same circle.

And Stiles had never done this before, had never come up to Derek after he’d been bullied, even though Derek had seen him among the onlookers before. So this, this was definitely a shock. 

“Looked like you needed some help.” Stiles said, ducking his head, cheeks red, as he got the last notebook and pen up off the floor and held them out to Derek. 

“It’s fine, I’m good.” Derek said, standing up quickly, arm full. Derek didn’t need Stiles’ pity all of the sudden. 

Stiles stood up more slowly, the look on his face careful, guarded. “Look, I’m sorry.” Stiles said, causing Derek to raise his eyebrows in surprise. “I’m sorry you have to deal with guys like that.” Stiles pointed behind him with his thumb in the direction Jackson and the rest had gone. “You don’t deserve it, any of it. And they give us jocks a bad name, you know?”

Derek nodded, lips tight. He understood. “You’re worried about your image. You want to look good by helping me.”

Stiles’ eyes widened at that. “What? No! No, that’s not it. I just meant-“

“I know what you meant.” Derek sighed. He just wanted to get to class and forget this whole thing happened. Derek moved around Stiles, but he didn’t get far before Stiles grabbed his arm, turning him back around toward Stiles. 

“No, you don’t. I didn’t mean it like that at all, Derek.” Derek looked up, surprised that Stiles had remembered his name. “I just meant to say that not all jocks are like that. Jackson and his friends are just assholes. Helping you has nothing to do with any image. I don’t care about that. I just…don’t think you should have to deal with that. And definitely not alone.“ 

Derek looked at Stiles, felt his pulse quickening as Stiles slowly lowered his hand from Derek’s arm, his hand leaving a trail of tingles all over his arm in its wake. 

"Why now?” Derek asked quietly, never looking away from Stiles’ earnest eyes. 

“I guess…I guess I finally found enough courage to walk up to you.” Stiles murmured, clearing his throat and looking down in embarrassment. 

“Why would you need to find any courage? Don’t you already have it?” Derek asked, confused. How could Derek be anything close to intimidating? Especially to someone like Stiles.

Stiles let out a sound that sounded like a scoff and a laugh put together, looking up at Derek. “No. No, I don’t. Not when it comes to you.” 

Derek’s mouth dropped open, shock clear on his face. He tried to find the words to say, but nothing was coming out.

Stiles’ blush deepened and something like a smile settled on his face. He shrugged. “I like you, Derek. A lot. It’s hard to gather up the courage to talk to someone you like.” 

Derek just stood there, gaping. 

Stiles laughed softly again, and when the bell rang, he looked up. “Shit, we’re late for class. I hope we can talk later, Derek. Yeah?” Stiles looked hopeful, _hopeful_ at the prospect of talking to Derek later. Derek. Him, Derek. Derek Hale. Derek couldn’t quite believe it.

Derek could only nod, and a definite warmth spread through Derek as Stiles grinned.

But then Stiles shocked Derek again when leaned forward and kissed Derek on the cheek. Butterflies fluttered wildly in Derek’s stomach as Stiles pulled back, looking shy - Stiles Stilinski looked _shy_ \- as he stared at Derek for a second longer. Biting his lip, Stiles whispered, “See ya, Derek.” And then brushed past Derek, their shoulders touching as he did so. 

Derek was left standing there, his stomach in all the right kinds of knots, heart beat loud and fast in his ears. 

It took Derek so long to get himself together and calm that he was ten minutes late to class.


End file.
